Best Western PLUS Inn of SedonaSpecial Guests and Honorees of the 20th Annual Sedona International Film FestivalFebruary 22nd – March 2nd, 2014

The stars are coming out and all of Sedona is a buzz with excitement and anticipation for the start of the 20th Annual Sedona International Film Festival this Saturday, February 22nd! This year’s festival features 160 films, celebrities, heroes and more! (See below for the line-up of Special Guests and Honorees of the Sedona Film Festival)

Stay with us at the Best Western PLUS Inn of Sedona during the 20th Annual Sedona International Film Festival and enjoy 360 degree red rock views from our promenade decks, free hot breakfast, complimentary “About Town” Sedona Shuttle to get you to and from the main event venues of the Sedona Film Festival and free WiFi.

Special Guest and Honorees of the 2014 Sedona Film Festival

Susan SarandonAcademy Award winner and 7-time Golden Globe nominee will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in front of and behind the camera. With more than 90 film credits to her name and an acclaimed career that spans more than four decades, Sarandon has earned several Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her work on the big and small screens. Ms. Sarandon will host Q&A discussions and appear at: “Romance & Cigarettes” at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on February 28th, at 12:00 pm, and during “Waiting for Mamu” at the Sedona Performing Arts Center at 5:00 pm, “These Storied Streets” on March 1st, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center at 6:00 pm, and again at 9:00 pm with “Romance & Cigarettes”.

Shirley KnightLegendary actress and star of stage and screen Shirley Knight will be honored with the Sedona International Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is featured in the festival’s opening night film Redwood Highway and will host a Q&A with audiences following both screenings of the film. With more than 50 films to her credit, Ms. Knight has spent a life committed to the arts and cinema.”Redwood Highway” screenings: February 22nd, at 7:00 pm at the Sedona Performing Arts Center and February 24th, at 12:00 pm.

Stefanie Powers Enjoy a classic Stefanie Powers film: Die! Die! My Darling! at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on February 25th, at 5:00 pm. After the film, enjoy an evening with Stefanie Powers, who recently toured the US in the comedy Looped, portraying Tallulah herself in a play about Tallulah “looping” (re-recording) a line from this very film. There will be a discussion of the film and Stefanie’s varied career, plus an audience Q&A, followed by the presentation of an award for her incredible work on film as an Actress and in Africa as the founder and president of The William Holden Wildlife Foundation.

Alison Arngrim – Live PerformanceAlison Arngrim stars in a one-woman show: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch — live, on stage at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on February 22nd and 23rd. Join Alison Arngrim (formerly Nellie Oleson from the hit series Little House on the Prairie) as she gives audiences a reality check on “the facts of life” like no one else has ever done before in “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch”. Arngrim’s recent release of her memoir’s similarly titled, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated, through Harper Collins, made the New York Times Best Seller’s List.

Mariel HemingwayRenaissance woman Mariel Hemingway is not only an iconic Academy Award-nominated actor (Manhattan) from a celebrated family, she is a prolific author, adventurist, eco activist, healthy lifestyle and mental health advocate, yoga video star, a food brand entrepreneur, and a much sought after keynote speaker focused on mind-body-spirit optimization and purposeful living .”Running from Crazy” featuring Mariel and the Hemingway family (executive produced by Oprah Winfrey) will be released theatrically. Ms. Hemingway will host Q&A discussions and be honored at: “Running from Crazy” at the Sedona Performing Arts Center on February 27th at 5:00 pm and again with “Cooper and Hemingway: The True Gen” at 8:00 pm,and on March 1st, at Harkins Sedona Six at 9:15 am.

Morgan SpurlockAcademy Award-nominated director and producer Morgan Spulock will receive Outstanding Director Award at the 20th anniversary festival. Morgan is currently working on the series Inside Man for CNN. The series gives viewers an insider’s view of diverse sectors of American life, diving deep into hard-hitting issues like medical marijuana, the elder care industry, migrant farm workers, gun ownership, union workers, bankruptcy, education, and the drought. Mr. Spurlock will host Q&A discussions and appear at: “Waiting for Mamu” on February 28th, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center at 5:00 pm, March 1st, at 3:00 p, during “The Greatest Move Ever Sold” at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre and “These Storied Streets” at 6:00 pm at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.

Pushpa BasnetCNN Hero of the Year and subject of ‘Waiting for Mamu’ will receive film festival’s Humanitarian Award and innaugural Everyday Hero Award. In 2012, Pushpa was awarded the CNN Hero of the Year Award. Recently she was an honored speaker at TEDx in Kathmandu. She is frequently invited to speaking engagements to share her story and personal mantra: “Believe in your dream”. Pushpa Basnet will host Q&A discussions and be honored at: “Waiting for Mamu” on February 28th at 5:00 pm at the Sedona Performing Arts Center and on March 2nd at 9:00 am at Harkins Sedona 6.